Reflections of One's Soul
Yurei was out training in a massive clearing in preparation for his journey into Soul Society; along with Haruki and Azami in order to get revenge against Inshu Senshi for thrashing them all in battle. Firing at nine targets, he sighed as he looked up realizing he missed two. "Tch. Still not good enough." As Yurei trained for his battle for revenge, a young woman with cat-like ears overheard his disappointed sigh. "Hello? Who's there?" she asked, curious of what was going on. "Hm?" Yurei looked up at the woman in pure curiousity. "Hi there. The name's Yurei. What even brings you all the way out to an empty clearing like this?" He spoke as he holstered his gun. Startled by the sighting of a weapon, Tsume took a step back. "I was just taking a stroll around. Why do you have a weapon?" she asked, as if she was a child. "Uh... I was out here training. Don't worry. I'm not here to harm you at all. Did you get lost or something?" Yurei looked perplexed as he reached out a hand to the strange girl. "No, I already told you I was taking a walk. You should clean your ears out, old man." Tsume replied, a few chuckles escaping her thoughts. "O-o-old man?! Tch. My mistake for wanting to ask questions." Yurei turned around trying to hide his embarassment. "Well anyway...this is an odd place for you to just be taking a walk. Don't you have family or something that might be worried that you're out here?" Tsume's face immediately showed her sorrow. "No, the last time I saw my family was just before the car crash that killed me." As she wiped the tears from her cheeks, she began to glare at Yurei. "Why'd you go and make me cry! You're not just an old man, you're a mean old man!" she cried. "Mean old man? I just asked a question... I didn't mean to make you cry." Yurei sighed as walked closer to the girl "Hey... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. What's your name miss?" "My name? It's Tsume. I don't have a last name, so don't bother asking. Anyways, what is yours, old man?" she asked. "Tsume? I like it. But you don't have to be so hostile you know." Yurei flashed a smile before continuing "But my name is Yurei Mizuki. And I'm not old'; we look around the same age." Tsume giggled. "But you have a few wrinkles on your forehead. It's funny!" she said, all the while still giggling. "There are only wrinkles cause you are driving me batty!" Yurei started scratching his head as he gave Tsume a look over. "Hmm...you aren't exactly....from around here are you?" "Yes, I am. Why do you think I'm not?" she replied. "Uh...um..well you see." Yurei looked at Tsume's body. "Nevermind. So where do you live? Are you here to meet someone? If I'm interrupting I'm more than happy to leave." Tsume began to glare at the man. "'More than happy?' Do you not like talking to me?! You are mean!" she said, about to start sobbing. Yurei started to panic as he looked around "Hmm..that's not what I meant at all. Yea..I just want you safe since you're so lovely and beautiful and kind." Yurei smiled kindly as he motioned inward for an awkward hug. As the man leaned in for a hug, Tsume did a twirl and smacked him with her large tail. "You are weird! If you want to redeem yourself, let's brawl!" she said, a menacing glare in her eyes. "Redeem myself? Hmph. Fine...bring it on miss!" Yurei smiled as regained his composure after getting hit with the tail. "...Even though this is just one large misunderstanding." He then grabbed onto his zanpakuto at his side and awaited his opponent to make the first move. Tsume began to casually walk towards Yurei, but as she got within range of the man, she appeared several paces behind the him. "I hope you can keep up." she said, with a childish smirk covering her face. Yurei smiled as he drew his zanpakuto firing several shots behind him. "Keep up? Well I'm pretty sure I won't have to if that's the extent of your speed. That won't be my vision." Without even a glance, Tsume produced a mirror that seperated her and her opponent. As the shots hit the glass, large shots were sent back, attempting to kill their master. "Heh, is this the best you can do, old man?" she asked, her smirk quickly growing. Yurei turned and a look of shock covered his face as he was hit by his own attack. "What was that? How did you reflect that out of nowhere!?" He then fired off three more rounds in an attempt to strike Tsume. As before, the shots were reflected back to Yurei. As he tried desperately to figure out what was going on, Tsume began to laugh. "Hahahahahahahahahaha, you're a funny old man! This is so much fun, watching you squirm like a worm!" she said, a more sinister tone in her voice. "I don't want to resort to my eye just yet. I can figure this out. What is she doing that's causing this, just look for any movement Yurei." He started running toward Tsume, suddenly jumping up over her shooting downward "Got ya!" Without any movement or command, the mirror flew to defend Tsume, seperating the two Shinigami. "Come on, little man. You can do it!" she said, obviously enjoying what was going on. Yurei stopped as he landed on the ground and he looked at Tsume. "Hm..could it be that mirror is some sort of Kido or magic?" He then fired another shot toward her as he mocked her "What is it? Are you afraid of getting close to me? Little kitten need a ball of yarn to play with?" Tsume's grin quickly turned into a grimace, but kept her composure. "Of course not, it's just this is much more interesting!" she said as the mirror came to her defense again, but instead of protecting her; it shattered! Surprised, Tsume managed to jump back just in time, but the fired shot still grazed her leg, causing her to fly back into a nearby tree. "Hmm... that's weird. My mirrors don't usually break unless I will them to. What is this man?" she thought to herself as she tried to bring herself to her feet. "Interesting indeed. I've never had it out with someone quite as unique as you. Haha. It looks as though whatever defense you were using gave out on you. Oh well not my problem..I'm just interested to see what else you have in store." Yurei sprinted foward to as close as he could get to Tsume firing multiple shots in the process. Tsume, incredibly annoyed now, brought forth a new mirror, barely defending herself from the shots. "You will regret this day... for the rest of your life." she said, looking as if she was ready to rip out the man's heart. Yurei winced as Tsume's personality seemed to change "But you're so beautiful. I can't help but smile when I'm near you." Yurei fired upon the ground around Tsume hoping to find the source of her defense "Is it some kind of magic from the ground or her foot movement?" As Yurei continued his futile assault, Tsume began to laugh. "Hahaha... Sorry to disappoint, but my heart belongs to someone else." she said as her tone quickly changed back to it's former self. Yurei smiled as he shot a blast behind him, using the force to launch himself foward towards Tsume. "I was kidding but, congrats on that." He then twisted his body in the air bringing his leg down upon Tsume in hopes of cracking her skull. As her opponent's foot made contact with her head, Tsume was sent down to the ground, a minor headache beginning to swell. "That was a good move, old man. Can't wait to see what else you can do." she said as she wiped the grime off of her face. Yurei clenched his fist as a vien began to form on the side of his head "What's with you and calling me an old man?! I'm only in high school...YOU'RE probably way older than I am. You look like your at least 30." He began laughing at his poor joke as he turned back to face Tsume launching himself once more with his fist extended. As Yurei closed in on Tsume, her face erupted in anger. When his fist was close to her face, she grabbed it. "I'm fifteen, you disgusting, perverted, old man." Without another word, she threw the trash behind her, a shard of glass flying after Yurei. "P-p-perverted!?" Yurei hit the ground as a look of shock covered his face. Standing up angered he pulled the trigger once more as he spoke "Fight, Sodateru" The gun began breaking down before it reconstructed into a katana "I'll show you right here who's old! You insane witch!" "At least I'm not a pervert." Tsume replied, waiting for the real fight to begin. "Hmph." Yurei smiled as a forest of trees began to emerge around the two combatants. Swinging his blade as he charged at Tsume, a flurry of sharpened wooden spears shot toward her. Without any expression on her face, she broke her mirror. As the shards flittered to the ground, she raised her arm, causing the broken glass to charge at the wooden spears. As the two collided, Yurei used the ensuing debris and dust to hide his movement. Jumping up onto another tree he directed the branches to thrust through the air in an attempt to capture Tsume "Looks like the little lady has some talent after all." As Yurei attempted to capture the young woman, she named her way between the branches, landing several paces from her opponent. "I'm a Homunculus, which means you won't beat me with petty parlor tricks." "A homunculus? What's that?" Yurei pondered out loud as he continued swinging his blade toward Tsume causing a trail of roots beneath the ground to spring up into the form of hands clasping down around her. "You'll find out soon enough." Tsume replied, barely dodging the hands of nature. After jumping back, she created dozens of mirrors in the general vicinity. As they arranged themselves into her desired positions, Tsume casually stepped into the closest one. "Heh, come find me, old man." she echoed from around the battlefield. "Again with this old man nonsense. Im not THAT old!" Yurei shouted as he created a cannon out of a tree trunk launching a cluster of bristles and thorns at the mirrors of Tsume. "That should show you the capablities of my Sodateru. I will make you regret trying to take me so lightly." Before the the thorns connected with the surface of the mirror, Tsume was already in a mirror adjacent to Yurei. "Are you that slow?" she asked, very mockingly. "What!?" Yurei stumbled to the side falling down as he looked up at Tsume. "How are you doing this? Why can't I keep up with your movements!?" Tsume grinned. "Maybe your old age has dulled your senses," she replied, jumping out of the mirror, attempting to claw at Yurei's head. "My old age!? I'm NOT that ol-" Before Yurei could finish he was caught in Tsume's grasp. "Tch. I let my annoyances get the best of me." As Tsume held her opponent, her eyes soon became wide. "You will stop this fight and go back to training, forgetting that all of this ever happened." As she ended her rant, her spiritual energy began to waiver. Immediately, she disappeared, as if she had never been there to begin with. Grasping at where the seemingly vanished girl once stood, Yurei slapped his fists against the ground as he shouted "Dammit!! I not yet strong enough! I couldn't even beat some annoying little girl. Argh! I'll get stronger and stick her face in the mud!"